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“a standout release in the label’s ever-growing catalogue.”

Lately some members of Montréal’s endlessly inventive Ambiances Magnétiques collective have been
turning to songbooks south of their border. Last year saw a tribute to Charles
Mingus by bassist Normand Guilbeault and clarinetist Robert Marcel Lepage’s excellent Pee Wee Russell album, as
well as the second CD by the Trio Derome Guilbeault Tanguay, which
included pieces by Sonny Clark, Duke Ellington,
Lee Konitz and Cole Porter. The latter’s new
release is a live DVD that captures a strong set featuring compositions by Ellington, Eric Dolphy, Lennie
Tristano and Fats Waller, as well as a piece by pianist
Misha Mengelberg, who certainly deserves to be in such company.
Derome himself is no stranger to jazz standards — his longstanding
Évidence trio (with Tanguay and bassist
Pierre Cartier, who’s proven to be something of a crooner as well in the
last couple years) is built from the Thelonious Monk repertoire. The new
trio started out performing original compositions (and two Derome pieces
are included here), but it’s more than welcome to hear a band this strong taking on the classics.
And if their The Feeling of Jazz lacked a little oomph, in front of an
audience they are solid and graceful, and the set list is well-chosen. Derome takes on Ellington’s Fleurette
Africaine and Waller’s Jitterbug Waltz
(hands down two of the loveliest melodies of their era) on flute, and plays a confident saxophone
on Dolphy’s Miss Ann and 245
(another nice choice) and Guilbeault is lyrical (if a bit under-miked)
throughout. But the main reason to watch (as opposed to simply listening) this set is Tanguay. Like New York’s Tom Rainey, he is subtle yet always
pushing; his finesse is easy to miss on record, but watching him just affirms how on his toes he
always is. The video is well-shot, with multiple cameras, soft white lighting and very good sound,
a standout release in the label’s ever-growing catalogue.